Meeting Jesus at the Table

(First, let me apologize for not posting to my blog for the past several weeks. I appreciate those of you who take the time to read my thoughts here, and I will try to be more consistent in the future.)

This Sunday, as we worship our Lord, we will share in the Communion meal. Before serving the elements, I always say something like, "This is the table of our Lord Jesus Christ." It's important for us to remember that Jesus invites us to the meal that reminds us of His redeeming death. While the meal is about His death, we also can't help but celebrate His resurrection, believing that His living Spirit is with us as we worship and share the meal. We also hear the words of scripture, Jesus' own invitation to us: "This is my body that is for you" and "Do this in remembrance of Me." This is His personal invitation to all who know Him as Lord and Savior to remember Him in the breaking of bread.

The other reason I always remind the congregation that the Communion table belongs to Jesus is that we believe all of His followers are welcome at the table. It isn't up to me or our church leadership or our denomination to invite some and reject others. It's Jesus' table, and He invites all who know Him to join in the meal.

The theology of the Lord's Supper, unfortunately, divides the Kingdom. Churches differ on the how the elements should be treated, who can participate, what happens during the blessing of the elements, and the spiritual meaning of the whole affair. It's sad to see these divisions over such a beautiful moment in our lives of faith.

Of course, I believe my theology and the Covenant's practice of Communion is right and best (otherwise I wouldn't be a Covenant pastor), but even so, I don't want a dogmatic biblical interpretation to overshadow the beauty of the meal. This is the moment we celebrate and enter into Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. This is the moment we remember - as best as our human minds can - that God's own Son died to set us free. Insomuch as we can't fully fathom the depths of God's love or the glory of His grace poured over own lives, we also can't fully appreciate the spiritual meaning of our "participation" in the body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16). Still, we rejoice that God considers us worthy to enjoy the meal!